If returning to the same team for a second consecutive spring training provided any comfort for Connor Joe, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman hasn’t altered his approach.
After constantly bouncing around baseball, Joe avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $2.125 million contract, which amounted to a $1.39 million raise. What it allowed him to do was find housing in Pittsburgh before the start of spring training. That way, Joe at least knows where he’s going to live – even if he’s not sure which position he’ll play.
“It was really nice to get the business side of things handled early and settled,” said Joe, who was drafted in the first round by the Pirates in 2014 but has played for Atlanta, Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco and Colorado. “It was the first time in my career that I’ve been in that situation. Obviously, you still come in with the same mentality of you’re competing — whether it’s for a job you’re competing for, at-bats, an opportunity. So nothing really changes in that sense.”
Where Pirates manager Derek Shelton sees a difference in Joe is how he carries himself and how his teammates react. In tying for the team lead with 31 doubles in 133 games last season, the 31-year-old Joe proved to the Pirates that he can be a productive right-handed hitter, especially in preferential matchups.
“The value is the fact that he can play multiple positions. He’s played both corner outfield spots. He’s played first,” Shelton said. “Especially versus left-handed pitching, it’s such a consistent at-bat. And then, the ability to pinch-hit late in the game, for us to be able to platoon advantage, it is really important for us. And Connor’s a guy that he doesn’t have a lot of big-league service time, but people that are around him just get a really good feeling. There’s a sense of leadership and confidence.”
Joe wants to show more this season, which is why he was focusing on getting the ball in the air this spring. He hopes to improve upon his 11 home runs and 42 RBIs without increasing his 110 strikeouts or affecting his .339 on-base percentage.
“I think there’s more homers in there,” Joe said. “I was pretty happy with the number of doubles I hit last year. I would love to repeat that. I would love to hit more. I think it’s just a focus on impacting the baseball. The results we can’t really control. But hitting the ball in the air hard, good things are going to happen, whether it’s a double, whether it’s a homer. Both are going to help the team.”
Joe hasn’t hit well this spring, batting .207 (6 for 29) but he has as many walks (five) as strikeouts and a .324 OBP in 12 Grapefruit League games. His only homer was a solo shot against Detroit on Feb. 28, and he has only one double and three RBIs.
But Joe has played all three outfield spots, including starting a game in center, and is expected to provide a right-handed complement to Rowdy Tellez at first base. Joe even took ground balls at second base last season, just to be prepared for late-inning situations off the bench.
With the signing of center fielder Michael A. Taylor, Joe is expected to serve in a reserve role this season. His value is in his versatility in playing multiple positions, as well as his ability to provide quality at bats against left-handers in pinch-hit situations.
“I think the consistency is what we value with his skill set,” Shelton said. “He never gets too high, never gets too low. He has the ability to adjust and he understands the game, which is really important when you’re in that role because you need to know when you’re going to functionally go in.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.